Mac files unreadable or parts missing when opened in PC versions

[anne]

I am experiencing some seemingly random cross-platform file errors
that I'm hoping someone else may have experienced and solved.

I am working with PPT 2004, 11.3.6. I run compatibility checks and
"issues" are rarely found; and when they are it's regarding
transparency or some unavailable animation equivalent between
platforms. So, no file format errors found.

The files I save are being passed back and forth between PC PPT users
and me. At times PC users will get the "this is not a PPT file"
message on files that come from me or that have passed through me for
edits. Errors also manifest in files that they will be able to open
and edit and then get corrupted file messages when they try to save.
There have also been instances where all graphics on random slides w/
in a presentation will just disappear. These "disappearance" issues
are not always w/ imported images such as photos or linked files from
other applications; they have also occurred with graphics created
directly w/in PPT. Sometimes creating a new file and re-applying a
design template will correct the problems, sometimes it won't. As I
have not been able to duplicate errors under similar conditions, this
all seems quite random to me, so I don't even know where to begin
troubleshooting.

As I say, I am hoping that someone out there may have experienced
similar problems with cross-platform file transfers and be able to
help me figure out where to start looking for a solution. It may just
be a matter of asking the right questions. So please feel free to
interrogate me! I'm desperate for some sort of solution!

Thx. Ånne.

 

[Jim Gordon MVP]

Hi Anne,

The problems you described could be caused by the methods you are using to
move the files around.

Are they being emailed? Are they on a shared server? How do the files get
from one person to another?

Thanks.

-Jim

I am experiencing some seemingly random cross-platform file errors
that I'm hoping someone else may have experienced and solved.

I am working with PPT 2004, 11.3.6. I run compatibility checks and
"issues" are rarely found; and when they are it's regarding
transparency or some unavailable animation equivalent between
platforms. So, no file format errors found.

The files I save are being passed back and forth between PC PPT users
and me. At times PC users will get the "this is not a PPT file"
message on files that come from me or that have passed through me for
edits. Errors also manifest in files that they will be able to open
and edit and then get corrupted file messages when they try to save.
There have also been instances where all graphics on random slides w/
in a presentation will just disappear. These "disappearance" issues
are not always w/ imported images such as photos or linked files from
other applications; they have also occurred with graphics created
directly w/in PPT. Sometimes creating a new file and re-applying a
design template will correct the problems, sometimes it won't. As I
have not been able to duplicate errors under similar conditions, this
all seems quite random to me, so I don't even know where to begin
troubleshooting.

As I say, I am hoping that someone out there may have experienced
similar problems with cross-platform file transfers and be able to
help me figure out where to start looking for a solution. It may just
be a matter of asking the right questions. So please feel free to
interrogate me! I'm desperate for some sort of solution!

Thx. Ånne.

--
Jim Gordon
Mac MVP

MVPs are not Microsoft Employees
MVP info

 

[anne]

Hi. Thx. for responding. The files are being emailed around or
transferred through an FTP site. No difference between files emailed
or FTP-transferred tho. ??

Hi Anne,

The problems you described could be caused by the methods you are using to
move the files around.

Are they being emailed? Are they on a shared server? How do the files get
from one person to another?

Thanks.

-Jim

Quoting from "(e-mail address removed)" <[email protected]>, in article
(e-mail address removed), on [DATE:

I am experiencing some seemingly random cross-platform file errors
that I'm hoping someone else may have experienced and solved.

I am working with PPT 2004, 11.3.6. I run compatibility checks and
"issues" are rarely found; and when they are it's regarding
transparency or some unavailable animation equivalent between
platforms. So, no file format errors found.

The files I save are being passed back and forth between PC PPT users
and me. At times PC users will get the "this is not a PPT file"
message on files that come from me or that have passed through me for
edits. Errors also manifest in files that they will be able to open
and edit and then get corrupted file messages when they try to save.
There have also been instances where all graphics on random slides w/
in a presentation will just disappear. These "disappearance" issues
are not always w/ imported images such as photos or linked files from
other applications; they have also occurred with graphics created
directly w/in PPT. Sometimes creating a new file and re-applying a
design template will correct the problems, sometimes it won't. As I
have not been able to duplicate errors under similar conditions, this
all seems quite random to me, so I don't even know where to begin
troubleshooting.

As I say, I am hoping that someone out there may have experienced
similar problems with cross-platform file transfers and be able to
help me figure out where to start looking for a solution. It may just
be a matter of asking the right questions. So please feel free to
interrogate me! I'm desperate for some sort of solution!

Thx. Ånne.

--
Jim Gordon
Mac MVP

MVPs are not Microsoft Employees
MVP infohttp://mvp.support.microsoft.com/

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Hi. Thx. for responding. The files are being emailed around or
transferred through an FTP site. No difference between files emailed
or FTP-transferred tho. ??

If the files are sent to a PC user via email using MacBinary protocol, they
wouldn't be usable at the PC end.

If they're sent via FTP from/to either platform as text rather than binary,
it's almost a certainty that they'd arrive unusable.

Hi Anne,

The problems you described could be caused by the methods you are using to
move the files around.

Are they being emailed? Are they on a shared server? How do the files get
from one person to another?

Thanks.

-Jim

Quoting from "(e-mail address removed)" <[email protected]>, in article
(e-mail address removed), on [DATE:

I am experiencing some seemingly random cross-platform file errors
that I'm hoping someone else may have experienced and solved.

I am working with PPT 2004, 11.3.6. I run compatibility checks and
"issues" are rarely found; and when they are it's regarding
transparency or some unavailable animation equivalent between
platforms. So, no file format errors found.

The files I save are being passed back and forth between PC PPT users
and me. At times PC users will get the "this is not a PPT file"
message on files that come from me or that have passed through me for
edits. Errors also manifest in files that they will be able to open
and edit and then get corrupted file messages when they try to save.
There have also been instances where all graphics on random slides w/
in a presentation will just disappear. These "disappearance" issues
are not always w/ imported images such as photos or linked files from
other applications; they have also occurred with graphics created
directly w/in PPT. Sometimes creating a new file and re-applying a
design template will correct the problems, sometimes it won't. As I
have not been able to duplicate errors under similar conditions, this
all seems quite random to me, so I don't even know where to begin
troubleshooting.

As I say, I am hoping that someone out there may have experienced
similar problems with cross-platform file transfers and be able to
help me figure out where to start looking for a solution. It may just
be a matter of asking the right questions. So please feel free to
interrogate me! I'm desperate for some sort of solution!

Thx. Ånne.

--
Jim Gordon
Mac MVP

MVPs are not Microsoft Employees
MVP infohttp://mvp.support.microsoft.com/

================================================
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
PPTools: www.pptools.com
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